Absorbent articles, such as disposable diapers, training pants, and adult incontinence undergarments, absorb and contain body exudates. They are also intended to prevent body exudates from soiling, wetting, or otherwise contaminating clothing or other articles, such as, bedding, that come in contact with the wearer. A disposable absorbent article, such as a disposal diaper, may be worn for several hours in a dry state or in a urine loaded state. Accordingly, efforts have been made toward improving the fit and comfort of the absorbent article to the wearer, both when the article is dry and when the article is fully or partially loaded with liquid exudates, while maintaining or enhancing the absorbing and containing functions of the article.
Disposable absorbent articles, as disposable diapers, are often purchased and used in a relatively large volume. It has been desirable to make disposable absorbent articles with reduced bulk to reduce space needed for transportation, shelf display, and/or storage. Some absorbent articles, like disposable diapers, have been made thinner by using an absorbent polymer material (also known as super absorbent polymer), such as an absorbent particulate polymer material, as the primary liquid absorbent in the article. Absorbent particulate polymer material absorbs liquid and swells within the article.
A wearer may subject some absorbent articles, such as disposable diapers, to one or more rushes of liquid, such as when urinating. Such a wearer typically desires that the absorbent article absorb and hold all such liquid during initial and subsequent rushes of liquid. The rate of absorbency and capacity of the absorbent particulate polymer material may affect the absorbent article's ability to absorb and hold all liquid during initial and subsequent rushes of liquid. When an absorbent article is not able to absorb and hold all liquid, an undesirable liquid leak may occur.
Thus, there remains a desire to enhance the ability of some thin, flexible, and/or inexpensive absorbent articles to absorb and hold one or more rushes of liquid without substantial leakage of liquid from the absorbent article.